Team GOLD
by charmeleon123
Summary: Aurelia Goldenrod, Owaissa Lui, Ember Lumos, and Dirk Brown. (GOLD) Air, Water, Fire, Earth. Though all from widely different backgrounds, they possess one trait that links them all together. Journey along with this unlikely RWBY OC team as they endure peril and hardship and discover the meaning of friendship and love.
1. Chapter 1: Gold

**Just a brief introduction (because I usually don't like doing these things):**

**Each of these characters have their own appearances, weapons, story basis, Semblances, and backstories. One thing I loved about Monty's work was that we got a chance to get to know the characters better as the story progressed. I intend to do the same thing here. Its taken awhile to get the momentum going, so hang in there until the later chapters and it'll start to get better.**

**This takes place about 10 years before Team RWBY, in the days of peace brought about by the Vytal Peace treaty. Team STRQ have already become a prominent/famous team that has recently graduated, Winter Schnee is a few years short of attending Atlas Academy, just to give a canonical timeline. Salem won't be featured much (if at all), since team GOLD isn't really let in to be a part of that. Hence, a few smaller baddies to deal with instead. **

**Really appreciate any feedback! I'm new to the fanfiction world, so any opportunities for me to grow and improve are much appreciated!**

**I do not own Rooster Teeth or RWBY.**

* * *

Aurelia set up her sleeping bag in the furthest corner of the Ballroom. There were days in her past when maybe she would have toyed with some of the guys trying to muscle it out in the center. Already, she'd caught a few looking in her direction. But with her hood up and her back turned away, none of the few dared to approach and the rest were oblivious to her existence. Just the way she wanted.

_It'll be difficult enough tomorrow, with the whole team thing and all. Might as well enjoy what I can of solitude tonight._

It wasn't that she didn't like people. But most of the people she'd encountered of late hadn't been the nicest, and the few who had been hadn't had a happy ending, to say the least. Visions, unbidden, began to swirl in front of her of these last few months. Gruesome, every one of them. The Datura Dancers were relentless. _Enough of that Aur. You promised yourself: no nightmares tonight. You're safe here. Headmaster Ozpin won't let any of them inside. _

A shadowy figure in another corner of the Ballroom caught her eye. He was dressed all in black, and Aurelia got the impression that 1) he was a ninja and 2) he didn't want to be noticed either. Maybe it was his superb ninja senses, but for a brief moment, he paused and looked up straight into Aurelia's eyes. _Orange eyes. Or maybe a dark yellow?_ Just as quickly, he looked away and disappeared into his sleeping bag.

Aurelia's eyes narrowed. She had her reasons for being suspicious. It wouldn't be the first time the Datura Dancers had tried to infiltrate a school. She would keep her guard up and her eye out. _And the hood and cloak up at all times. There's no room for chance. It's cooler here in Vale compared to Vacuo anyway. I should be fine._ Even though the nervous pit in her stomach made her feel otherwise. She'd worked hard to get away. It would be terrible to say the least if her efforts ended up being for nothing and they found her.

A girl laughed, a melodious laugh that carried throughout the room. From her corner, Aurelia traced the sound to its source: a bright eyed girl with long red hair and a turquoise pajama longsleeve with light green pajama pants. As she turned her head, Aurelia caught a glimpse of child-like happiness in her sea green eyes. She couldn't help but smile a little, a little wistful. _Such innocence. _The frown returned to Aurelia's features as she continued to subtly watch the girl_. __She won't last long if she remains in such ignorant bliss. _Aurelia pretended not to notice the couple of guys who were in the vicinity of the young girl, who were doubtless enthralled by her beauty and enthusiasm. But one in particular caught her attention, unwillingly. He was a little taller than the rest (or maybe that was just the cavalier hat on his head giving that impression), broad shouldered and emanating strength. But what drew her attention to him wasn't the fact that he was in a ridiculously bright green tank top with light brown cargo shorts, showing off his muscular arms and legs (though that certainly helped). But it was something in his face, his manner of standing. Something was different about the guy. She wasn't sure what it was, but she'd been around a lot of guys before and none of them had quite had this. She wasn't sure she liked it.

"Lights out, students! Everyone to your beds." Professor Goodwitch shut the lights, and when a group of rowdy boys on the side failed to shut off their bright lantern, she shut it for them with a snap and a glare that immediately silenced the room.

Aurelia began to feel the familiar rise of panic as the darkness settled in. _Its okay, Aur. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. You are at Beacon Academy. You are safe. _

Praying against nightmares, Aurelia fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Turquoise

Owaissa couldn't believe she was finally here. After all the years of training at Signal, the rigorous entrance exam where she'd almost thrown up beforehand from nervousness, and the journey to Beacon in the Airship (where she had thankfully not thrown up), it was almost surreal. Beacon, with its stately halls, crisp cut lawns, and giant modern training arenas was impressive…and that was an understatement.

_Too bad my friends can't be here too._ Of everyone in her cohort at Signal, Owaissa was the only one who'd made it into this prestigious academy.

_Don't be silly_, a small part of her said. _They weren't really your friends, especially since they made fun of you being—_

"Whoa, check this place out!"

They had just entered the Ballroom, where they would be sleeping for the night. It was huge, with wide curtained windows on both sides and dozens of bright chandeliers space evenly across the ceiling. In the back, two sweeping staircases led up to a second story balcony of sorts. Owaissa took it in with wide shining eyes. _Oh my goodness, it's sooo beautiful! _A little squeal of delight almost escaped her lips, but she caught herself just in time. It wouldn't do for anyone to think she was a child. She was short enough as it was.

"And that is all. Rest well tonight. And be ready for initiation tomorrow." Professor Goodwitch dismissed the group and everyone started moving in different directions.

_Crap._ She had been so enthralled by the magnificent room that she'd missed all the instructions for tonight and tomorrow. _I just got here, and now people are going to think I'm dumb_. _So much for your great start at Beacon._ She looked around at the other students without trying to look at them, seeing if she could figure out what they were doing and copy them. Owaissa was notoriously terrible at being casual though, and her bright turquoise outfit and long red hair certainly didn't help the situation.

It looked like people were grabbing bundles from the corner of the room and unfolding them in random places throughout the area. _I guess that's a good place to start_. As she headed over and picked up a bundle, she realized it was a sleeping bag.

_Wow, we get our own sleeping bags? They're so fluffy and soft! _She hugged the giant cylinder happily, which was about a third of her height, making her look even shorter than she actually was. But as she looked around again, her grin dampened a little. _Shoot, people have already started making friends._ Indeed, it seemed the room had already divided itself into various groups. There was the group of guys to one side of the room with a giant lantern (_how the heck did they even get a lantern?_) wrestling each other and doubtless trying to attract the attention of a group of girls on the opposite side of the room, applying creams and face masks before bed. She saw another group gathered around two players madly pressing buttons on their scrolls, while a crew of nerds and introverts took advantage of the candles on the side of the room to absorb themselves in a book. Others were grouped in twos and threes, scattered in clusters like sprinkles on a cupcake, and a few were alone in various corners and nooks of the room, away from the noise in the center.

The center. Owaissa watched them, a mixture of fear and longing in her heart. These were the best soon-to-be Hunstmen and Huntresses in her eyes, well aware of their abilities and confident in themselves, confident enough to be in the center of the room attracting attention and not caring what other people thought. A momentary pang came to her heart as her eyes went back and lingered on the loners. _I was one of them, back at Signal._ She almost took a step toward them, but stopped herself just in time. _But I promised myself I wouldn't be alone this time._

"Need a little help there?"

Owaissa turned to find herself face to face with a tall guy who seemed even taller with his hat on. Owaissa had to crane her neck up quite a bit to meet his sapphire eyes, which were twinkling with humor. It made her feel self-conscious.

"Oh, uhh—umm—"

"Here let me grab that."

Before she could protest, he had already hoisted up her sleeping bag on one shoulder, carrying his own bag on the other. Owaissa could feel her ears burning, but thankfully her hair was covering them.

"They look like nice people." Without bothering to see if she was following, Dirk headed straight for the center crew. Owaissa wasn't sure whether she should be mad at this stranger for going up to them without a game plan, upset that he hadn't even asked for her permission, or awed that he exuded so much confidence in himself. Reluctantly, Owaissa followed behind.

"Hey, you all got room for two more?"

"We've got some space over here for you and your girlfriend." Another guy in dark blue gestured over to a spot.

If Owaissa's face hadn't been red before, it was _definitely_ red now. "Oh—uhh—he's not…umm"

"She's actually not my girlfriend, and I would appreciate it if you didn't make assumptions like that. We've only just met." He turned towards Owaissa, setting the bags down, and made a little bow, with a smile. "No offense. I'm sure you would be a great girlfriend."

Owaissa laughed and curtsied, eased by her new friend's manner. "And you would be a great boyfriend, Mr. Green."

He chuckled in response. "It's Mr. Brown, actually. Though you can just call me Dirk."

"Owaissa."

"O—what?"

"My name. It's Owaissa."

"Oh. That'll take my tongue awhile to get used to."

Owaissa laughed again and looked around, admiring the vast Ballroom once more. _It's beautiful, all of it. And I get to be in the center of it all._ Just then a few more people came over and joined the guy in dark blue. With introductions out of the way, the conversation transitioned into speculation about initiation. With some careful listening, Owaissa managed to learn all she could possibly know about tomorrow morning.

"Welp, best bunker down for the night. See you in the morning, O wise one."

Owaissa giggled at the play on her name. "Night Dirk."


	3. Chapter 3: Orange

_What a bunch of losers. Why did I even come to this crappy place?_ As Ember eyed the crowds of students in the Ballroom, laughing and messing around, he couldn't help regretting his decision to come to Beacon for the fiftieth time. _All these kids are a joke. I'll bet most of them have never even fought a Grimm before. And I'll bet both my hands none of them have ever killed a human before. _

That was of course, why he had come to Beacon. To learn to fight better. And if it came to it, to kill. Because you either killed or were killed.

_I shouldn't even be here. I should be out there, fighting with my brothers and sisters. Not with these filthy humans._ A laugh echoed across the room from a girl in turquoise. _Especially with that one. Frolicking around like she owns the place. Disgusting._ He might've tried something, except the watchful eye of Professor Goodwitch still roamed the room. Even with all his skill and stealth, he wouldn't go unnoticed by someone with that level of Aura control. He would easily be kicked out before initiation had even begun. Though it was tempting to leave anyway, he wanted to at least see what the professors of such a renowned school could teach him. Maybe they held the secret to his revenge. It was chiefly that thought that cemented him to his spot instead of running off to find his people.

It was warmer here compared to Mistral. Not that it really mattered much anyway. His semblance allowed him to endure heat without really feeling it. He could even pass through fire for a couple seconds, as he'd discovered during the Beacon exam. _I'll have to work to hone that skill. Passing through fire is sure to come in handy._ For now though, it meant that he could wear his long-sleeved black ninja hood and outfit comfortably despite the heat.

All of a sudden he felt eyes on him. Looking up, his gaze fell on a girl in the far corner of the room. Her hood was up, so he couldn't get a clear view of her face, but something in him sensed that she knew what he was really up to…and somehow understood.

_Well, that's one I guess. Maybe. I wonder if she's…no._ The clock chimed fifteen til the tenth hour. _Best get to bed then_. Turning away, he buried himself in his sleeping bag, trying to shut himself off to the noises around him. It got a lot easier once Professor Goodwitch called the official lights out.

_I hope we don't have do to anything stupid tomorrow. Otherwise, I might just get outta this place._

* * *

**I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Its more of trailer than anything. Ember gets more development later on, but in a way this fits his style. Brief and to the point, no bandying of words. Owaissa's, by contrast, is the longest "trailer", which also fits well with her personality. **


	4. Chapter 4: Brown

Dirk woke up with a start, jolted awake by what he knew not. Carefully listening, he picked up on loud panicked breathing, in the far corner of the hall. Whoever it was did not sound okay. _First mission as a Huntsman: save whoever that is over there._ He smiled in spite of himself and made his way over stealthily on all fours, carefully maneuvering around the sleeping bags and sleeping people strewn all over the floor.

"Whoever" turned out to be a girl. She lay with her back to the room, face turned towards the wall, wrapped up in a cloak. Her hood was half off, revealing golden colored hair. At first glance she looked asleep, and Dirk had to use his semblance to check and make sure she was the one.

"Hey," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

She whipped around so fast that Dirk was taken aback and almost tripped on someone behind him. "Who are you?!" she demanded in a fierce whisper, blazing purple eyes fixed on him. Definitely not what he had been expecting.

Dirk put his hands up in surrender. "I—I'm n-nobody! No, my name's not Nobody, I'm somebody, but I promise I wasn't doing anything!" _Great start, huntsman. Now you just look like an idiot._ Dirk took a breath and continued, trying not to let her eyes bother him. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay—"

"Well I don't need you!" Aurelia folded her arms and glared at him, a picture of calm (albeit angry calm), but Dirk could sense her heartbeat rise ten beats. "And I'm perfectly fine!" she hissed.

Dirk recognized a cornered animal when he saw one. She may have been a human, not an animal or a Grimm, but it was the same look of fear in her eyes. He knelt down and tried to put on a nonthreatening demeanor. "My name's Dirk. And I can tell you're not fine. Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"No. I _am _fine." She looked up, her eyes daring Dirk to challenge her statement. When he didn't, she put her hood up before turning back to face the wall. "Just leave me alone."

Dirk also knew a lost cause when he saw one. Even so, his heart ached for the girl. But he knew all too well that there were battles that couldn't be won. And he had enough sense to know that this was likely to be one of them.

"Alright. Suit yourself. But if you ever want to talk, Angel, come find me."

"I am NOT—"

"I know, but you never gave me your name."

"Didn't your mama ever teach you not to talk to strangers?"

Dirk chuckled, humored in spite of everything. "'Course she did. I guess I just didn't listen."

"Well, stranger—"

"Dirk."

"Whatever. Dirt. Go away. Before you regret it."

"Alright, alright. I'm going." Dirk backed away and threaded his way back to his sleeping bag. Laying back, sleep eluded him, his mind full of the conversation he'd just had with the golden-haired girl. He hadn't even been thinking when the name "Angel" had popped out of his mouth. Maybe his mom was right about being dumb sometimes. _But she really does look like an angel though. I wonder what happened to her, to make her so defensive like that._ _Nothing good, that's for sure._ Something about her intrigued him. The way she'd still looked him in the eyes fiercely, despite her fear. As Dirk continued musing, he could feel the girl's breathing and heart rate slow back down. _Time for me to sleep too_, he sighed inwardly. Tomorrow would be a long day, and he would need all the energy he could get. Trying to get his mind off the girl and failing, Dirk finally drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Golden Brown

Aurelia was running. She would have much preferred flying, but it was better this way.

Professor Ozpin had explained how the teams would be formed, and she was determined to stay solo as long as fully possible. But it wasn't more than five minutes into initiation when she skirted a tree and suddenly found herself face to face with

_Oh no. It's HIM._

And indeed it was. Dirk, in all his masculine glory, still wearing the dumb hat, sleeveless top, and cargo shorts, though at least his ridiculous tank top had been replaced with a combat vest that allowed his two blades to be sheathed in a cross behind his back. Though it was a darker shade of green, it was still way too bright to match the dark evergreen of the Emerald Forest. Aurelia took one look and scowled. She knew enough about guys from back home, and for all his charm she knew better. He'd be just like everyone else. It was bad enough he'd scared her after she'd woken up from her nightmare last night. _Bother it all,_ _I don't need anyone else right now, especially a guy like him_!

"_You_." Dirk took in the narrowed eyes and vicious tone and couldn't help but think that if she'd been an animal, her hackles would have been raised and her teeth bared.

"Yeah, it's me." _Fate is on my side I guess._ He smiled. "I guess we're not strangers anymore."

"Hmph." Aurelia whirled around, arms crossed, and started briskly walking in the opposite direction.

"Uhh, I believe the temple is that way?" Dirk said, jerking behind him with his thumb.

Aurelia did an about face and strutted past him. "I was just headed that way, Dirt."

"It's Dirk."

"Whatever."

"Look, what's up with you?! Here I am, trying to be nice, and you just keep shoving me off!"

"I never _asked_ you to be nice! Go find someone else if that's what you want." Aurelia was already a couple yards ahead, and Dirk hurried to catch up.

"We both heard Ozpin. We're _teammates_ now. Neither of us have a choice about that." When Aurelia didn't respond, Dirk added, "At least tell me your name." Aurelia ignored him.

"Unless you'd prefer I just keep calling you Angel."

_That_ got her attention. Aurelia stopped, clearly annoyed. Dirk smirked a little. _So she IS sensitive to some things. _Still though, she was silent.

"Alright, Angel it is."

"It's Aurelia," she said softly, then started walking briskly again, not bothering to see if Dirk was keeping up.

_Aurelia. A golden name for the golden-haired girl. It's fitting._

"So Aurelia, what's up with the cloak? Aren't you hot in that thing?"

_Doesn't this guy know how to shut up? You're never going to win the ladies that way._ Aurelia debated even answering, but silence seemed more dangerous now than giving an answer. _What harm could come from a question like that anyway? Better to direct the attention away. _"I get cold easily." The excuse rolled off her tongue so easily now, Aurelia wondered if maybe it had come to be true. The cloak, initially a nuisance, had come to represent warmth, comfort and safety.

Whatever the case, Dirk believed it without a second thought. "Good to know. Where you from anyway?"

"Vacuo."

"Ahh that makes sense then. Vale's probably a lot cooler than that desert. Mistral's colder than here, so I guess it feels really warm to me right now."

Aurelia didn't say anything. Dirk tried again. "Which part of Vacuo are you from?"

"Do you make it a habit to ask such prying questions?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to get to know you better. We're partners after all."

"Hmph."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So which part of Vacuo—"

"What does it matter where I'm from? We're supposed to be finding this relic or whatever." Aurelia was hoping Dirk would take the hint and shut up.

He didn't. "Well, I'm from Kuchinashi. In Mistral, obviously. It's a decent sized village, though I don't know that you've heard of—"

"Shh."

"What, don't tell me you've been—"

"Shut up!" Her voice was low and urgent this time, different from the general aloofness that Aurelia had been exhibiting. Dirk noticed in the ensuing silence that the birds weren't chirping anymore.

_Shoot, I was trying so hard to get to know her that I ignored my semblance. It's a good thing she's got a good head._ Spreading out his aura, Dirk felt something move.

"To the left!"

"What?! How could you—"

"Watch out!" Dirk sped over and blocked the Ursa's attack with his crossed double swords, just in time to stop the Ursa from swiping Aurelia with its massive paw.

"Get back!" Dirk yelled, struggling to hold up under the weight of the Grimm's giant paw. He was almost down to one knee when _zing!_ A long platinum-colored spear embedded itself in the Ursa's other forearm, which had been just about to attack Dirk. The Ursa stumbled back just enough for Dirk to get the upper hand and he quickly fired a dust round from his right sword, aiming at the brute's head. The beast roared and rocked back and Dirk quickly slashed at its torso. A blur rushed by him and he realized it was Aurelia as she aimed a flying side kick to its head, grabbing her spear's handle and using her momentum to dislodge her spear and swipe at the Ursa's head. A final stab from Dirk caused the Ursa to fall back and dissipate in a cloud of black smoke.

"Whoohoo, we did it! Fist bump!" Dirk held his fist out to Aurelia, who completely ignored him and continued walking.

"Aww come on. You know what a fist bump is right?"

"I grew up in _Vacuo_. Of course I know," Aurelia drawled sarcastically, not even looking back.

"Then come on! Celebrate our first victory as Team DA!"

Aurelia turned around only to glare at him fiercely before turning back.

"Okay, you're right that's a terrible name. Oh well, we'll come up with something great I'm sure!"

"I'd rather not."

Dirk grinned, totally unaware of Aurelia's disdain. "We GOTTA come up with a team attack name though! That was so awesome! I was like bam! And you were like zing-whoosh, and I went bang and—"

"Will you just shut up!"

Dirk stopped mid-sentence, his mouth wide open in what would have otherwise been a comical face. He closed his mouth and muttered, "You're no fun."

There was nothing else to hear but birds chirping for the next two minutes. And then

"So like I was saying earlier, Kuchinashi—"

"Ugh!" Aurelia facepalmed. Dirk was oblivious. _Four years. Four freaking years with this rambling idiot. Why did I ever agree to this. _

* * *

**First weapon reveals! Aurelia uses a platinum colored spear called Aerafet, and Dirk uses two blades. Like what Zuko says, they're dual swords, one is nothing without the other, so they only have one name. There's a trigger on the hilt of each sword that allows dust to shoot out of the tip of the blade. More explanation of this comes later, but just thought I'd give a little bit so you're not completely confused.**

**Didn't feel the need to rehash initiation, just assuming its almost the same every year, since Goodwitch says, "Speaking of which, what relics did you choose this year?" Assuming they could use the same relics but with a different type of pairing. **

**And this is just a random alternative universe scene for your enjoyment. **

Spoof Scene:

"We both heard Ozpin. We're _teammates_ now. Neither of us have a choice about that." When Aurelia didn't respond, Dirk added, "At least tell me your name." Aurelia ignored him.

"Unless you'd prefer I just keep calling you Angel."

Aurelia said nothing.

"Alright, Angel it is." Aurelia kept walking. Dirk hurried to catch up.

"So _Angel_, what's up with the cloak? Aren't you hot in that thing?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

Dirk blinked. Aurelia blinked back.

"Did you just…make a joke?"

"No I wasn't making a joke, bozo! I was just stating the facts…that I'm…yknow…hot," Aurelia finished lamely.

"…"

"…"

"…I can get you some water—"

"Ugh!" Aurelia slapped Dirk in the face and stomped off.

Dirk sighed, rubbing his cheek. _I will never understand women._


	6. Chapter 6: Blue Orange

_This is stupid. Why am I even doing this?_ It was probably the thirtieth time that thought had gone through Ember's head. And they were only twenty minutes into initiation. Things weren't looking good, to say the least.

When ol' man Oz had explained what they would be doing, everyone had looked pretty excited. Everyone except him…and possibly the brown hooded girl from last night. It was hard to tell what she was thinking; from what he could tell her face was impassive and the cloak and hood obscured the rest. For his part, the whole mission and relic sounded like some dumb children's game. Sure, they'd be beating up some Grimm, but he already knew how to do that. He'd thought that Beacon would give him other skills…like how to kill people. _This school has nothing to offer; I should leave._

But being the big sissy chicken he was, Ember instead found himself moving through the foliage, jumping from branch to branch with no more noise than a slight rustle, on whatever treasure hunt this was supposed to be. Despite Oz's words, he had no intention of partnering up with anybody. _The last thing I need is something slowing me down_.

A howl sounded not too far in front from where he was. Quickly, he crouched on one of the branches to survey the ground.

_Beowolves. I guess that'll slow me down_, Ember thought, smirking at his own joke. He counted them…thirteen, fourteen…fifteen in the back. He could take them down no problem. He slipped a ninja star out from the back of his hand and aimed at the Beowolf in the center.

_Shik!_ It hit its target and the Beowolf fell to the ground before the rest of the pack even noticed. Then suddenly,

_BOOM!_

Shards of ice exploded from where the ninja star had been, impaling a few more Beowolves in the vicinity. Ember slid his katana off his back and dove towards the nearest Beowolf, the blade burying itself up to the hilt as the beast began to disintegrate into black smoke. He quickly defeated another with a few slashes before jumping into the branch of an adjacent tree. Midflight to the next branch, he launched another ninja star that embedded itself in another Beowolf. More howling ensued as fire flared up from the now dead Beowolf and engulfed two more of the beasts in its flames. Ember kept darting in for quick slash attacks and jumping back up, moving from branch to branch. _Three more_. Shik! A star to the head and a cloud of smoke and flame. _One more._

As Ember was in the air moving towards the next branch, a kunai knife whooshed across his face, barely missing nicking his nose, before landing with a thud in the last Beowolf's throat. Distracted, Ember semi-crashed into the branches but managed to recover with a quick grab and swing up so that he was perching on the branch on all fours.

"Sorry!"

He whipped around to find…_no. NOnononononono. You can't be serious. Of all the bloody—_

"You alright?"

It was the girl in turquoise from last night, only this time she was in a turquoise combat dress with silver arm and shin braces. She grabbed her kunai knife from the ground, wiped the smudge of dirt off on the grass and stuck it into it its artfully woven sea green holder on her right side. An identical holder on her left held a second knife, and both holders were secured to her torso by a silver belt. She looked up to smile at Ember, only for it to waver underneath his cold stare.

"I—I'm sorry—"

"Sure." Owaissa visibly flinched at Ember's biting tone, which was only accented by the way his ninja stars flew close to her face as they returned to their owner, thanks to the gravity dust in his gloves. _Good. Make her squirm._

"Really, I am."

"Burn in hell." Without warning, he launched himself towards the next tree and flew through the trees, not bothering to see if she was following or not.

"Wait!" Her call sounded further back, and Ember smirked. _There's no way she can catch up to me—_

"Hey!"

Startled, Ember flashed a quick glance to his right. Owaissa's arm and leg braces had distal points to them now, and dust was firing out of the ends of them, propelling herself forward. She was already almost even with the ninja, and Ember had to admit, grudgingly, that her speed was pretty incredible.

"We're. Supposed. To be. Teammates." Though she was slightly out of breath it seemed.

Ember ignored her, which wasn't hard to do.

"Did you. Even. Hear me?"

"…"

"I said. I was. Sorry."

"…"

"Not hurt. Are you?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"So what's. Your name?"

"…go away."

"Not a. Very. Nice name."

"..."

"..."

"…fine, if you're gonna be stupid enough to follow me, shut up."

"Alright."

"…"

"…"

"…name?"

"What did I just say?!"

"Your name. You never. Told me."

Ember sighed. _This is going to be a long day. A very long day._


	7. Chapter 7: Golden King

"Whoa, this place is rad!"

"Careful, it might be rigged."

"Aww come on, Oz wouldn't try and kill his students on the first day." On cue, Dirk stepped on the end of a large branch, subsequently whacking himself in the face with the leafy end. Aurelia rolled her eyes to hide her smirk. _If he doesn't start watching where he's going, he's going to run out of aura due to pure clumsiness_.

Unfazed, Dirk immediately marched over to the center column and grabbed the golden king piece. The black one was already missing, but Dirk had never cared for black anyway. "Huntsman Dirk Brown of Kuchinashi, at your service, milady." He bowed, one hand to a side with a flourish, the other holding the relic out in front of Aurelia.

She put one hand on her hip and rolled her eyes again. "Glad to see you taking this _so_ seriously." Dirk simply looked up, grinned and tipped his hat with his free hand. Aurelia took the relic and almost smiled at his gentlemanly idiocy, but the image of three faces in a burning house immediately caused her to frown and turn away, arms crossed like she was trying to keep herself together. _No, not now. Not in this place. _

Dirk noticed the change though, and his face became filled with concern. "Hey, you okay?"

_They can't find you here. And even if they did, Ozpin wouldn't let them do anything._ Counting to ten, Aurelia forced herself to breathe in and out until the wave of panic was gone. "I'm fine."

Dirk wasn't convinced. "I don't think—"

"Stop."

"But I—"

"STOP! Just…stop." Aurelia shook her head like she wanted to shake away a bad memory.

_She's still breathing really fast. Her heart rate is up too._ Dirk wasn't sure what was going on with his new partner, but he'd had enough experience from last night to know she wasn't going to take anything he said seriously, let alone open up. So then, he should just not be serious! Humor always works, right? Though she hadn't responded well the first five thousand times he'd tried. Maybe a bit of logic mixed in would help.

"Look, no quicksand pits or spiky spears! Not rigged. I won't say I told you so."

Aurelia waited so long to respond that Dirk wondered if she was simply ignoring him, but finally she said, "…fine. I concede that point." She began walking back in the direction of Beacon Cliff.

_Not the warmest response, but at least she didn't yell at me to shut up._ As they neared the end of the temple, Dirk decided to push his luck. "Just kidding. I told you so!"

Aurelia looked back, eyes narrowed in a glare as she pointed the pointy end of the king chess piece at him. "I will seriously skewer you."

"Alright, alright!" Dirk held his hands up in mock surrender, grinning. "Lighten up, sharpstick."

"You're insufferable."

Dirk's grin widened. "You're—" Suddenly his grin dropped. Aurelia registered the change almost immediately. "What is it?"

"Grimm."

"How many?"

Oddly enough, Dirk tipped his hat up just a tad with his eyes closed. After a moment, he pointed. "One. Large Grimm. Probably a Deathstalker, judging by the footfalls." He opened his eyes.

_One Deathstalker isn't too bad. We can probably take it. _Aurelia glanced up at Dirk. _Whatever Semblance or ability he has, his reflexes are good. His swords have enough bite to cut through the tail I think. But he'll need to come up on it from behind. Which means he'll need a distraction_.

"Go hide behind that tree. When I give you the signal, cut off its tail."

"And what about you?"

"I'll bait it out so you can attack from behind."

"I can't let you do that," Dirk protested.

"Just do as I say."

"You'll get hurt—"

_SCREECH!_

"I'm fine, go!"

Aurelia turned to face down the Deathstalker as Dirk watched on helplessly from behind the tree. The rational part of him understood that Aurelia was a trained fighter, but he couldn't help seeing the faces of his neighbors, who had been killed by various Grimm back in Kuchinashi. _Never again. No one else is going to die while I'm around._ Heart pounding in his chest, Dirk crouched, ready to intervene the moment Aurelia looked like she might get hurt.

He needn't have worried. Aurelia whirled her weapon around expertly, keeping the Deathstalker's claws at bay with the pointed and blunt end of her spear. _How does she move so fast? _Suddenly both claws fastened themselves on each end of the spear, but before Dirk could cry out, Aurelia had jumped high into the air (_how did she even get that high so quickly?_), her weapon now transformed into a crossbow that she was using to fire Dust rounds. They pinged harmlessly against the Deathstalker's armor, and it screeched as it turned to face Aurelia, who was now a good 10 yards to the side.

"Now!"

Dirk sprung into action, slashing both of his swords into its scorpion-like tail. Its golden stinger smashed into the head of the Deathstalker, causing it to screech and tip forward. Aurelia's spear found its mark right underneath where Dirk had clipped its tail, propelling it further forward.

"Flip it over!"

Dirk understood and quickly battered the underside of the Deathstalker with slashes and Dust rounds until the Grimm was practically vertical in the air. With a final stab into its underbelly, the Deathstalker gave one final screech and fell over backward. Black smoke slowly rose into the air as the Grimm began to dissolve.

"We did it! Team DA strikes again!" Dirk turned to beam at Aurelia, only for his grin to fall and be replaced by one of shock.

Aurelia was in the jaws of a King Taijitu, her Aura flickering from the crunch of its fangs. It looked battered, and a quick glance told Dirk that its second black head wasn't moving anymore for some reason.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Dirk roared, charging the giant snake. "Taste. My. Fangs. Of. Fury!" He accentuated each word with a swipe of his sword, and with a final stab the snake finally noticed him and let go of Aurelia. She crumpled to the ground and lay still. Dirk's eyes took in Aurelia's motionless form.

_Never again._

"YOU MONSTER!" The Grimm snake curled around and swallowed Dirk up whole.

_Never again_.

"RAHH!" Dirk stabbed upward with his left sword, piercing the roof of the snake's mouth. The Taijitu shrieked, and the gale from its cry almost blew him away. Its fang had caught Dirk's calf, but he didn't even notice the pain as he aimed into the Taijitu's belly with his right sword.

_Never again!_

"TASTE THIS!" Dirk pulled the trigger and a giant mountain of earth erupted inside the Taijitu's mouth, engulfing its fangs so that it couldn't snap shut. The recoil propelled Dirk out of the Grimm's jaws and he tucked and rolled onto the grass.

_Zing_! Aurelia's spear embedded itself into the Taijitu's right eye. Before Dirk could react, Aurelia had kicked her spear out and was airborne. Aiming the point down, she stabbed through the white headed snake. With a final screech, the Grimm flopped down and began to decompose, bringing Aurelia down to ground level. Dirk rushed over.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you hurt?! Here let me help—"

"I told you, I'm FINE!" Aurelia yelled out, purple eyes blazing. Dirk paused, hand suspended in the air.

"I just—"

"I don't want help!" Dirk lowered his hand. Aurelia turned away and faced the treeline. "I don't need help. Especially not from a dirty freak like you."

_Does she…really see me that way?_ Though it had been years, the jeers taunted him in his head._ Go away you half-breed freak! Sniff out a place you're actually wanted, filthy mutt. Where's your leash, Fido? Oh wait, the muzzle would fit better, he bites! Fetch—_

"Alright, fine! Fine. Call me names. Be a dumbass jerk, just like everyone else I grew up with. Whatever." Dirk sheathed his swords and walked past Aurelia towards the trees.

Aurelia balked internally. _Crap, he was only trying to be nice, and I hurt him._ _Just like every other person. You never change, do you Aur._

_It's not your problem if he's sensitive. Better hate than interest. Or do you want another repeat of the Lakes?_

Aurelia shuddered.


	8. Chapter 8: Black King

_You gotta be freakin' kidding me. We were sent to battle Grimm and death for this?!_

Ember stood there, silently fuming, while Owaissa walked up to one of the stone columns bearing a black pawn. There was a set of gold chess pieces on the opposite end of the forest temple, and both black and gold sets lined the sides by increasing rank, culminating with the kings at the center. "I guess these are the relics?" She lifted the pawn curiously, and her eyes went slightly wider. "They're pretty hefty." Owaissa set the pawn down and turned toward her still furious partner. She'd given up asking what his name was after he completely ignored her queries, hoping that maybe it was just her accidentally almost slicing him in the face that made him upset. But surely he'd had enough time to cool down by now?

"Hey…you alright?"

Ember continued to stare at the ground, hands clenched in fists. Without a word or even a glance, he stalked up to the front, snatched the black king piece off its column, and headed quickly back in the direction of Beacon Cliff. Owaissa's face fell. _Is he really still mad at me? He's such a Grimm…_

"He-…hey!" Owaissa ran after Ember. "Wait up!"

The arm came out of nowhere. Just as Owaissa was pulling even, Ember's arm shot out and knocked her back. She fell, rolling in the dirt. _Alright that's it! Ignoring me is one thing, but hitting me draws a line!_ In one fluid motion Owaissa drew her knives, looked up ready to aim…and stopped.

Ember's katana was barely blocking the fangs of a King Taijitu whose black head was right where Owaissa had been. With a yell, Ember roundhouse-kicked the side of its head, using the momentum to pivot to the side and allowing the snake to crash into the ground with the weight of its own attack. In the blink of an eye Ember had slashed a few times across the top of its head, and Owaissa barely registered the presence of a ninja star piercing its left eye before flames erupted from it. In a rage, the white Grimm head tried to bite at Ember, only for him to jump into the air so that the white-headed snake bit its black head instead.

_He…he saved me._ Owaissa watched as the enraged now one-headed Grimm flew at Ember's airborne form. Ember tried to dodge the attack with a wind dust shot from his pistol but the snake barreled through unfazed, locked onto its target, jaws open wide and about to snap. Ember was powerless to do anything except hope his aura would hold. _Shit!_ The Taijitsu's fangs clamped against Ember's aura, and he felt his aura draining quickly. Soon he would have nothing left. _Shit! _

"Yah!" Two kunai knives buried themselves in the Taijitsu's eyes, and a stream of Aura followed each knife back to its fierce looking source, yanking it backward and away from Ember. Her eyes glittered dangerously.

"YOU CANNOT HAVE HIM!" Owaissa whipped herself forward and aimed a kick straight at the crown of its head. From her leg brace a white Dust round shot out and ice quickly shrouded the rest of its white head. With a last stab of both of her knives into its neck, the King Taijitu flopped down and didn't move again.

"Huaaaahhh," Owaissa sank to her knees. "That was close!"

Owaissa turned to see Ember already walking off, almost at the treeline. "W—wait!" Owaissa quickly got up, sprinted, and caught up to him. "Thank you for saving me."

Ember looked at her blankly. "Save you? If that's how you see it," he scoffed.

"Wh—what?"

"Psh." Ember sprung up into the nearest tree branch.

_What the heck is going on with this guy?! I even rescued him from—arghh! _She followed him up the tree. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Why would I?"

"You would be crushed in the jaws of that King Taijitu right now if I hadn't been there! You could at least say thank you!"

"What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying I should have let that snake eat you, you ungrateful cadswallop!"

Before Owaissa could blink, two ninja stars whizzed towards her, landing with a thunk into the trunk she was leaning against. One found its target a hair away from her left ear, the other just as frighteningly close to the right side of her neck. Owaissa froze.

"Ungrateful, huh?" Ember's voice was soft, but it radiated so much anger and hatred that Owaissa remained frozen. "You know nothing. _Nothing_ of what I've been through." Ember locked eyes with her for the first time since they'd met, and the intensity of his stare made Owaissa gulp. "I warned you from the beginning that you'd be an idiot to follow me. It's your fault if you thought you were doing me a favor back there. I don't work with anyone. Especially not the likes of _you_." Ember spat on the branch they were standing on for emphasis. Only when the ninja stars gravitated back into the hands of their master did Owaissa dare to breathe again.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me alone. Don't make me do something you'll regret." With that Ember crouched to spring to the next branch.

"I was alone once." Ember paused. Owaissa shifted uneasily, then went on. "For a long time, actually. People can be cruel." Ember's eyes widened ever so slightly, and an image of a tall imposing man with black hair and a maroon robe came unbidden to his mind. He forced the image away, though Owaissa noticed his clenched knuckles had turned whiter.

"But you don't have to be alone."

To Ember, it felt like a slap in the face. _The very words she had said to me, all those years ago._ _Never again. Never AGAIN!_ "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME!" Ember tore away from Owaissa and the uncomfortable turn the conversation had taken.

Owaissa's face fell, hurt pooling in her eyes. _Just when I thought I was finally getting somewhere…_


	9. Chapter 9: Team GOLD

_Aurelia Goldenrod. Owaissa Lui. Ember Lumos. Dirk Brown. The four of you retrieved the king chess pieces. From this day forward you will be known as team GOLD. Led by…Aurelia Goldenrod._

Aurelia's face paled. _Team leader?!_ _I—I can't be—no. _She could feel her heart rate rising again, and she forced herself to calm down.

Professor Ozpin continued, "Dorm assignments and access have been assigned to your scrolls. We look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day." As Professor Ozpin stepped away, the hall slowly began to fill with the buzz of conversation.

"Yo ninja boi!" Ember glared at the grinning giant, then stalked off toward the exit without waiting for the rest of them. His partner, on the other hand, lit up.

"Oh hey Dirk!"

"O—weiza!"

"Close enough." Owaissa beamed, glad to find at least one friendly face. "Isn't it awesome we get to be on the same team after all?"

"Totally rad." They fistbumped.

"Of _course_ you two would know each other."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Owaissa asked. Aurelia just rolled her eyes and started walking off after Ember.

"Hey!"

"Give it a rest. It's been a long day already." Owaissa still looked confused and hurt, but at another smile from Dirk, she allowed herself a small smile before chancing a glance at Ember up ahead. The hurt began to seep into her eyes again, but Dirk immediately launched into a story about the Ursa they ran into and soon Owaissa was laughing again, a clear ringing sound that made Aurelia's eyes almost wistful and Ember's eyes narrow.

The team made its way outside into the courtyard, and the immense columns and arches towering above Aurelia filled her with a sense of awe. Nothing in Coquina had ever compared to this. She'd heard rumors about the giant pyramid that was Shade Academy, but as she'd never gotten the chance to see it, Beacon was the closest thing to grand she had ever set her eyes on. She felt small, but it was a good kind of small. The kind of small that meant her presence would hopefully remain unnoticed. _Though being chosen as team leader throws a wrench in all of that. I can't do this. I'll have to talk to Ozpin later. Dirk would be better. He won't…he won't let anyone get hurt._ Though Aurelia barely knew the guy, she sensed a certain strength and confidence in him that seemed to drive dark things away. Strength she knew she did not have herself, especially with the possibility of the Datura Dancers out and about. She hadn't seen them in a few months now, which was the longest respite she'd gotten since Oscuro academy. But she hadn't been around this many people in a long time either.

A few hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she shuddered slightly, her cloak rustling a little more than one would expect in the wind. She glanced up at the last few columns in apprehension. _Is someone watching me?_ As if in answer to her thoughts, a dark shadow materialized beside her. She almost drew her weapon before realizing it was Ember, who'd dropped back to keep pace with her for some reason. _Now what does _he_ want?_ She wasn't exactly sure what was bothering her, but the feeling of unease didn't leave her.

Ember didn't say anything until they were at the door to the dorms building. Here, he turned and faced Aurelia, half blocking the doorway.

"We don't belong here, do we."

Those weren't the words she was expecting to hear. "What do you mean?"

Ember looked up and met her eyes for the first time, and under the intensity of his orange-yellow stare, her hand moved subconsciously to get a grip on Aerafet…just in case.

"I mean that you and I both know something the rest of them don't." Ember's eyes flickered towards Owaissa and Dirk behind her before holding her gaze again.

_Does he…does he know?_ _But I've been so careful to make sure._ Even so, her heart began to race and it took all of her willpower not to shudder. _If he's with them, he must not find out the truth_. With all the bravado she could muster, she looked him in the eye and said challengingly, "I don't know what you're talking about." When Ember didn't move, she shoved past Ember up the steps, her mind spinning.

_Crap_. She'd thought she would find safety here. Wasn't Ozpin the strongest headmaster, no, the strongest man alive? And it wasn't just him. Professor Goodwitch was a force to be reckoned with, not to mention the other teachers that made Beacon such a prestigious school. The Datura Dancers wouldn't dare to infiltrate the school…would they? A darker part of her mind thought how convenient it was that Ember was assigned to the same team as her. Her mouth settled into a grim line.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside a dark brown door with the number 214 etched plainly in black. She'd been about to key in her scroll to open the door when the voices of Owaissa and Dirk floated up towards her.

"…think she'll wait?"

"Of course. She knows what being a team leader means."

"Oh oh oh, I call bottom bunk!"

Aurelia mentally slapped herself in the forehead. She had almost barged in before the rest of her team got up here! Even if she wasn't planning on getting too close to any of them, she at least owed them the decency of seeing their new abode together, like she knew at least Owaissa and Dirk would want. _I suck at this team leader stuff. I really have to talk to Ozpin soon_.

Ember reached her a little before Dirk and Owaissa, and Aurelia stood stiffly, careful not to let her guard down. Fortunately, Ember didn't try to meet her eyes again and Dirk and Owaissa soon dispelled most of the tension with their presence. The latter two looked toward her eagerly.

"Oh. Uhh…here goes." Aurelia put on the best team leader face she could muster and keyed in her scroll. The door opened…

…revealing a medium sized room with two sets of bunk beds, two desks with two chairs per desk and a small walk in closet on each side. An empty bookshelf sat underneath the window between the two beds.

Owaissa immediately sped inside and turned in circles, eyes shining. "This is amazing! Our home for the next four years!" Dirk walked in with that same level of goofy confidence, inspecting a bedframe with a practiced hand.

"Good quality wood too."

"Only the best at Beacon!"

Ember simply slunk in, grabbed his small black duffel from the floor (someone had brought all their luggage earlier) and headed towards the walk in closet on the left, closing the door a little too loudly for decency. The sound made everyone jump a little.

Aurelia sighed to herself. _Home for the next four years. Hopefully._ She tried to shake off the uneasiness. _This place will be different. Not just will be,_ is_ different. Everyone here knows how to fight. Beacon has surveillance systems. No one can get in without someone knowing. _Aurelia glanced around the room, at the bunk beds, the shared desk space and closets, and sighed again. _No privacy though. That will be really hard. I'm feeling the effects of a long day already._

"Do you want top or bottom?"

"Huh?"

Dirk gestured to the right side of the room at the two remaining bunks. "Owaissa and I thought it would be a good idea to bunk with partners. Ember doesn't care."

"If he did, he would have yelled back when I asked him," Owaissa piped up from the bottom bunk on the left where she was spreading her sheets and blankets.

_Sounds about right_, Aurelia thought. Out loud, she asked, "Why are you even asking? Don't you have a preference?"

Dirk bowed with a hand out in a flourish. "It's always the ladies first." He looked up and winked, making Owaissa giggle. Aurelia looked unimpressed.

"Whatever. I'll take top. So I won't ever have to worry about the bed crashing above me."

Dirk and Owaissa broke out laughing, which took Aurelia by surprise. She had been serious; a guy as large as Dirk could easily break the bed. Shaking her head, she headed over to the closet with her bag and closed the door. Leaning back against the door, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

_Finally. A little time alone._ She thought about taking off her cloak for a moment, but then thought the better of it. _It's not safe here. Maybe tonight._ She instead began to take out what little belongings she had and hang them up.

It was a good thing she kept her cloak on because hardly a few minutes had passed before Owaissa knocked and opened the door before Aurelia could say a word. "Dirk thought that it would be better for the guys and the girls to share closets. Yknow, for safety reasons." She dragged her luggage, which was half her size, into the now even tinier closet and looked up. "I hope you're okay with that?"

_Not exactly much choice in the matter. Still it makes sense. I sure as hell don't need to see any underthings and they definitely don't need to see ours. Not that I have much to see anyway. But I'm done with that life. _Aurelia gave a brief nod of agreement and went back to her things, but not before noticing the quick glance Owaissa gave at her meager belongings. _Whatever. Looks like she'll need the closet space._ Finished, Aurelia headed out to find Dirk filling up his quarter of the bookcase with textbooks that he was arranging in alphabetical order. Goofy as he was, Dirk was also clearly organized. _Even more reason for him to be team leader. I didn't even think about the closets or our schedules tomorrow. All I could think about was my own safety._

"Hey, you alright?"

Aurelia snapped up to see Dirk looking up at her. _No. _She felt like she'd already failed even though they hadn't even started yet. They deserved better than what she had to offer. Tomorrow, she would talk to Ozpin. He would agree with her and she'd recommend Dirk as team leader instead of her.

"I'm fine."

She grabbed her scroll and sat on her bunk, pretending to look at her schedule so that no one would try to bother her anymore.


	10. Chapter 10: Uncertainties

_What did I do?_ It hadn't taken Owaissa longer than an hour to throw everything up on hangers or stuff them in the dressers, but she continued to sit in the closet, uncertain of what her reception outside would be.

From the moment Owaissa had laid eyes on her, she'd thought Aurelia looked like the coolest person in the world. I mean, who wouldn't think a tall bad-ass chic with pretty golden hair and a glittering platinum weapon was anything short of cool?

But then Aurelia had immediately blown her off. Which was so totally NOT cool. The only thing that had kept her from retaliating was Dirk's defensiveness towards Aurelia's behavior. Dirk was a decent guy. If he thought there was good reason for her behavior, then Owaissa trusted him. Plus, it sounded quiet right now. Maybe things would be okay.

Owaissa peeked her head out the door of the closet, body still concealed behind the door in case she needed to dart back inside and retreat. A quick scan of the room told her that everything was calm, at least for now. She ventured out of the closet. Aurelia was up on the top bunk on her scroll. Dirk was sitting on his bunk, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, studiously making notes and reading through one of the textbooks. Owaissa thought it was A History of Huntsmen Academies, but she couldn't be sure. _Wow, he's already getting started_.

Ember emerged out of the boys' closet, still in his dusty ninja combat outfit. It was unclear to Owaissa whether he'd actually done anything in the closet; he looked exactly the same as he did in the forest. The only difference was that his weird katana pistol weapon looked clean. _Huh…weird._ Dirk had already changed into a green tshirt (seriously, did he own _any_ tops that weren't green?) and brown cargo shorts. Even Aurelia had opted to switch into a pair of jean short shorts and a cute brown tshirt with "you can't catch me" embossed on the front. It looked like the kind of shirt that a primary student would wear rather than an academy student, but it was still loads better than Dirk's dumb "Grimmtarts" shirt. They had only just gotten into academy anyway; its not like they were that far from being primary students themselves. Though Aurelia's insistence on wearing that ridiculously thick brown cloak on a warm day like this made no sense to Owaissa's brain. _She's so pretty and tall and it's all being wasted because of that cloak. If I had her figure, I'd let the whole world see it._

_Either way, none of them have it on me_, Owaissa thought with satisfaction, giving her long red hair a little flick and swoosh as she sat herself down on her bunk. Maybe she was short, and maybe she was a little more thick on the calves and arms than she would have liked. But so what? In her sharp light gray cardigan and black miniskirt with white knee-high stockings, she felt like the prettiest girl alive. She knew the milder colors of her outfit would accent her eyes and hair, the pride and joy of the physique the Brothers Grimm had blessed her with.

"Where are you going?" Aurelia asked, interrupting Owaissa's thoughts. Owaissa looked up to see Ember halfway towards the door.

It was an innocent enough question, but Ember seemed immediately ticked off by it. "None of your business," he growled.

"As your official team leader, it _is_ my business." Aurelia narrowed her eyes at the ninja. She didn't exactly want to play the team leader card, especially with how she felt about the whole position, but even more she didn't want Ember out of her sight for a minute. If it gave her an excuse to know where exactly the ninja was heading off to, it was worth it. "Now, don't make me repeat myself," said Aurelia, a dangerous edge to her voice. "Where are you going?"

Ember looked up and glared daggers at Aurelia but said nothing. Owaissa chanced a glance at Dirk. He was in his own world, head buried in the pages of his book, oblivious to the tension in the room. Owaissa wanted to mentally slap him.

"None. Of. Your. Business." Ember repeated menacingly. He turned and strode towards the door.

_Zing!_

An arrow-like projectile embedded itself between the door and Ember's feet. Owaissa stared open-mouthed and whipped her head around to find Aurelia still sitting with her legs crossed in front of her, but with Aerafet in its crossbow form casually propped on her left leg. _How—how did she get her weapon out so fast?_

Quick as lightning, a ninja star shot out from Ember's hand, embedding itself a few inches away from Aurelia's face into the wall. _How does he do that? Throw those stars with so much precision and speed?_ Aurelia only blinked, though Owaissa thought Aurelia felt a little stunned by the attack.

"I'll only say this once, so you better listen well," Ember spoke in a low voice. "I'm going where I want and when I want. I don't take orders. Especially from the likes of you."

"And what exactly do you mean by 'the likes of you'?" Aurelia asked, eyes glitteringly dangerously. Dirk had finally realized something was going on and put his book down, though by his clueless look, Owaissa figured he had no idea what was happening. _Guess its up to me to try to stop this._ She wasn't keen on getting between the glowering blonde and the bristling ninja, but if she didn't, someone was likely to get hurt. And they would all probably get kicked out of Beacon before their first day had even started.

"P-please, we don't have to fight—" Owaissa pleaded.

"Shut up!" Aurelia and Ember exclaimed at the same time, then blinked at each other in surprise before resuming their angry staring contest.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean, filth." Ember threatened in a low voice. He moved toward the door again.

"That was _not_ nice, Ember!" Owaissa exclaimed.

Aurelia fired another projectile that blocked his path again. Ember growled and, eyes flashing, fired another ninja star that Aurelia knocked aside. "Filth, hmm? I think a better name for you would be a cowardly sneak!"

"Aurelia, that was NOT necessary!" Owaissa protested.

"Didn't I _just_ tell you to shut up?!"

"Someone is going to get hurt!"

"It won't be me."

"That's not the point! If Professor Goodwitch—"

"Don't go bringing—ahh!"

Ember had taken advantage of Aurelia's distraction and managed to graze her forearm. It hadn't actually done any damage, thanks to her aura, but it still stung. Grunting in frustration, Aurelia aimed Aerafet at the ninja, only for her arm to be suddenly yanked to her side. She tried to move but found she couldn't due to a strong black substance that was wrapped around her torso. Ember was similarly bound and struggling hard, to no avail. The bonds traced their way back to Owaissa's outstretched hands, and the little redhead didn't look much better than the other two. She was sweating and breathing hard, but managed to get out four words that no one had trouble hearing. Dirk, forgotten in the corner of his bunk, thought it likely that whoever was rooming down the hall probably heard her.

"LISTEN BOTH OF YOU!"

It was enough to get Aurelia and Ember to stop wriggling and look at her, at least to wonder how such a loud sound had come out of such a small person. Dirk in the meantime was silently examining Owaissa's strange black things. _Are they a weapon? Semblance related? Maybe aura? It looks like gravity dust is part of it in any case._

"We're supposed to be a _team_. At least _try_ not to kill each other on the first day?"

"Easy for you to say," Aurelia scoffed.

Owaissa ignored the comment. "Ember, Aurelia asked a decent question. Where are you going?"

Ember glared at the redhead for a long time before finally turning his face away and muttering, "Training."

"Okay, there. See, that wasn't so hard."

"Sure, he _says_ he's going to be training. Where is he _really_ going?"

"As if there was anything else to do in this dumb place," Ember retorted.

"Where do _you_ think he's really going?" Owaissa asked Aurelia. Dirk wasn't sure if Owaissa decided to release the bonds at that moment because she no longer thought they were needed or because she couldn't sustain them any longer. If it was the latter, she was sure good at hiding her fatigue.

"Wha—that's what I'm trying to ask!" Aurelia spluttered.

"But why are you so concerned even though you've gotten your answer?"

"As team leader, I need to know the truth!"

"Why do you think he's not telling you the truth?"

"I—I have my reasons—"

"What reason do you have to doubt him? Has he given you any reason to not trust you so far?"

"I—"

"If you don't trust him, does that meant you don't trust us?"

"Shut up!" Aurelia looked toward Ember, only to find that he was gone. "You let him get away!" Aurelia accused.

Owaissa turned and looked at the open door, just as surprised as her leader. _He sure is quiet. _She immediately shrugged though, and turned back, saying softly, "Maybe that was a good thing."

Aurelia heard. "You're on _his_ side, aren't you!"

"I'm not on anyone's side!"

"You're defending someone like him!"

"And you don't wonder why he acts the way he does?"

"There's no why. Some people are just born that way. You can't change them. That's the way the world is."

"I'm sure there's a reason—"

"This isn't some hoity toity fairy tale where people live happily ever after! I'm sure _you_ wouldn't know."

"Wh—wha?"

Aurelia gave her a look-over then rolled her eyes. "Even a blind person could see you're nothing but a washed up whitefoot."

Owaissa didn't know what that meant, but she was pretty sure it wasn't something good. "I am not!"

"He wants nothing good and you're way too naïve to see it!"

"Yeah, well you haven't been much better, _Team Leader_." Owaissa said sarcastically.

Aurelia didn't even flinch, but retorted, "Maybe _you_ let people walk all over you, small fry, but I don't."

Owaissa bristled at the implication, but before she could reply, Dirk jumped in with, "Aurelia, that's enough. I still don't see what the problem is. He went to train. It's not a big deal, we can hang out later."

"That's not—he's not—you're so—you're both-narrow-minded—ugh!" Aurelia could feel her nerves rising and decided she needed to end this now. "Whatever! I'm going to take a nap. DON'T bother me." She turned and lay down so that she was facing the wall. After a moment, Dirk simply shrugged and went back to his book, leaving Owaissa standing in the middle of the room. Bewildered, confused, and a little hurt, Owaissa retreated to her bunk and opened up a textbook, staring at its pages and trying really hard not to cry.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this!_ For the last two years, Owaissa had dreamed of what it would be like to be part of a team. All her professors at Signal always had this wistful smiley expression whenever they talked of their own teams, and they always reminisced about how awesome it had been. How teams were like a second family, how close you all became, trusting each other to stay alive both in the field battling Grimm and out of it in life's struggles. She couldn't imagine having anything like that with Ember, who was like a snake, striking the moment anyone got even remotely near him. Then there was Aurelia, who apparently hated her and thought she was some dim, naïve girl or something. And Dirk…Dirk was alright so far. But she wasn't sure how good of a friend he'd turn out to be.

Heck, she wasn't even sure about anything at Beacon. Professor Goodwitch seemed awfully strict. Professor Ozpin seemed nice, but almost distant. She hadn't met any of the other professors yet. What if they were all mean and strict? What if they thought she was stupid and kicked her out of Beacon? She hadn't even needed to fight any Grimm on her own during initiation, and Ember had pretty much taken care of most of that King Taijitu before she finished it off. What if they thought she wasn't qualified or good enough? Clearly someone on her team already thought that way of her. And if that someone was her team leader? _I will __**not**__ cry_, Owaissa thought stonily.

It was so dumb anyway. She hadn't even done anything wrong! All she'd been trying to do was make peace. Isn't that what being a Huntress was all about? _I feel so…frustrated, so…lost, so…_The word she truly felt came to her but she refused to admit it. _I am NOT alone. This isn't going to be like Signal again. I refuse to let it be like Signal again!_ Owaissa looked up from her book to peep a glance at her team leader. She was wrapped up in her cloak, facing the wall, and her breathing seemed even enough. She watched Dirk for awhile, who was oblivious to her perusal, immersed in his reading. _Can I trust him?_ No, that wasn't the right question. Even from the short amount of time they had spent together, she somehow sensed that Dirk was a trustworthy kind of guy. No, the better question was, _Can I trust him to be honest? Can I trust him to keep my confidence?_ It would be one thing if he was her official partner. The bond between partners was something special, something that went beyond the team dynamic. But not only was Dirk not her partner, he was also _her_ partner. His duty was to defend his partner, just like hers was to defend Ember in a way. He would probably have to tell Aurelia eventually. But she didn't have a choice. There was no one else she trusted to give her an honest appraisal.

She glanced up at the top bunk again, watching for any signs that Aurelia might be stirring. But her breathing was much the same, even and deep. _Now or never I guess_.

"Hey," Owaissa whispered.

Dirk didn't hear her. Owaissa rolled her eyes and called out softly, "Hey Dirk."

When he still didn't hear her, Owaissa huffed to herself, then reached over and grabbed her pillow. She threw it at the reading giant, who startled. "Wha—"

"Shhh!"

Dirk stopped and looked at her, open-mouthed and with a clueless expression on his face.

"You think she's asleep?" Owaissa whispered.

"What? I can't hear you."

Owaissa repeated her question, a little louder this time. Dirk paused for a moment, eyes closed, then opened them, which was odd. "Yeah."

Owaissa fished around for the right words and decided to start further out. "Do you think Aurelia…hates me?"

Dirk set his book down. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, she called me a—" Owaissa paused. What had Aurelia called her? Was it whitford? No, there was 'white' in the name…white food? White fish? No, there was some sort of body part too…whitefoot? Yes!

"A whitefoot. I don't really know what that means. Do you?" She figured Dirk might know, seeing as he was apparently quite the studious person.

To her disappointment, Dirk shook his head. "I'm not sure. It could be a Vacuan term maybe. I haven't heard her use it with anyone else so far."

"Its probably a bad word."

Dirk put two fingers to his forehead, which Owaissa and the others would later come to recognize as Dirk's signature thinking pose. Finally, he simply said, "Probably."

"Probably. Okay, so…?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think she hates me?" Owaissa asked again.

Dirk mused some more before responding. "I don't think she _hates_ you. I don't know that she likes you. I don't think she dislikes you either. But I don't see why you're so concerned about it."

"Not concerned? She's our team leader!"

"And?"

"Well, pff—like," Owaissa spluttered. "If she _doesn't_ like me, that's going to cause problems for the team!"

"It's only been one day. I'm sure she'll come around."

"But what if she thinks I'm not good enough?"

"What do you mean?"

Owaissa sighed and looked down. "I just meant, like…you're so confident and big and could probably take on hundreds of Grimm. And Ember might be…difficult, but she at least knows he can do well in a fight. And I'm…what if she doesn't give me a chance to prove I have a place here?"

"You're already on the team. There's nothing to prove."

"No, it's like—" Owaissa hummed trying to figure out what she wanted to say. "I feel like she just took one look at me and put me in a box with some dainty highborn person that can't handle herself in a fight." It still wasn't quite on the mark, but perhaps in terms that Dirk could understand. "And maybe she's right."

"I beg to differ."

"What?"

For the first time in the conversation, Dirk grinned. "You forget that _you're_ the one that stopped _both_ Aurelia and Ember just now, with your gravity dust binding thing. Doesn't that make you _more_ powerful than both of them?"

_Huh, I didn't even think about that_. Owaissa let it sink in before finally breaking into a small smile. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right. You had the strength to step in when it was needed. Maybe she feels threatened. Maybe she underestimated you. I'm not sure. But either way, you'll probably need to talk to her again."

Owaissa deflated at that. "She won't listen to me."

"You never know until you try."

_And I guess the same goes for Ember too. I'll never know if Aurelia's suspicions about him are true or false unless I find out for myself._ "Thanks Dirk. You've been a great help."

"Always glad to be of service." He turned back to his book.

Owaissa jumped up and strode into the closet, emerging in her combat uniform, Duo Hamus sheathed in her belt. "If anyone asks, I'll be training," she announced to no one in particular before leaving the room, combat bag strapped over her shoulder. Dirk didn't even skip a beat in his reading.

* * *

**So that's finally done. This was an in-between sort of chapter that was challenging for me to write. I'm not great at writing arguments, so if you have ideas for how it could be better, let me know please! Also thanks to everyone who made it this far and being patient with my updating. **


	11. Chapter 11: Catfish

Ember wasn't sure what to think. His assumptions about Aurelia had been clearly misguided. When he'd first laid eyes on her, he'd thought she looked like a member of the White Fang. Or at least someone who had been hurt badly by the filthy humans. So much so that he'd been about to offer his skills in return for hers. Not a friendship or anything fluffy like that. Those were too complicated for his plans. But a partnership, a purely transactional one, wouldn't hurt. It would be mutually beneficial, even.

But then she had brushed him away, denying that she knew anything. He suspected it wasn't the whole story, but he certainly hadn't expected that kind of resistance. People in the Fang recognized each other as a rule even with all the disguises; it was something in the eyes and mannerisms. His instinct was usually right.

If she had cut it there, he would have understood. There was a code in the underground world that if someone turned you down, you left them alone. At least that's how it had been in Mistral. Maybe Vale was different. Or wherever she had come from.

But instead of leaving him alone in return, she had singled him out, calling him a cowardly sneak when she didn't even know who he was. Okay, maybe he'd had that coming to him, calling her filth. But that was justified. If she wasn't a faunus, she was human, and all humans deserved to die. _And_ she'd had the nerve to shoot that missile. _Twice_. Filth was too nice of a word for people like that.

No matter. He wouldn't waste any more time with any of them. Stepping into the training gym, his eyes widened in a rare display of surprise. It was larger than anything he had ever seen with a vast array of training equipment strewn throughout. A side door led to the locker rooms, water station, and shower rooms. Along the other walls were doors that Ember assumed led to private training and video conference rooms, gauging from the video cameras cleverly concealed around the facility. In the giant expanse itself, there was the usual set of weights and bench-presses one could find in any civilian gym, but beyond that there were so many machines Ember wasn't sure where to start. One looked like a sword-fighting simulator complete with foam, wooden, and metal swords depending on your skill level. Another looked like a dart game of some sort, but with a variety of different practice weapons ranging from knives to needles. _No ninja stars though,_Ember noted. _I guess Beacon isn't up to par with Eastern fighting tactics_. This became evident as he gave a cursory glance towards the rack of training weapons, which included a variety of swords, spears, shields, knives, axes, and hammers. There were a few katanas and a chain-like weapon that resembled a kusarigama tucked at the end of the row, but they looked little used and perhaps designed for specific students. It didn't matter too much because most of the training would be done with their own specially designed weapons anyway, but it was a tactical advantage that Ember filed away for later.

The machines toward the end of the gym looked much more complex and intricate. Ember stopped suddenly in his perusal as one machine caught his eye. _Perfect._

* * *

It wasn't long before Owaissa found Ember. He was in the training gym just like he said he would be (_take that, Aurelia!_), bobbing and weaving through an intricately rigged set of swinging bags, beams, and blunted blades. A description was posted on a hard-light plaque next to the machine and read as follow:

_The Forest of Swings is a highly complex training machine. It is triggered by aura and uses high-tech software to trigger a randomized attack pattern. No two ventures into the Forest are alike. The more damage you inflict, the harder and faster the machine gets. Each person receives a final score based on the level of difficulty they are able to reach. Once your aura flickers, the machine will automatically stop and your score will be displayed. _

For awhile, Owaissa simply watched in awe as Ember flipped and spun fluidly through the rapid contraption, dealing blows with such a combination of precision and grace, Owaissa could have mistaken him for a dancer. _He seems so different when he's fighting…its like he's an artist expressing himself through each movement. A ninja artist…Maybe that's the way to get to know him. And figure out why he's so angry all the time._

Owaissa cleared her throat. "Hey, umm—" she squeaked, before shutting her mouth. _That won't do. That won't do at all. I'm not afraid of him! Am I? _She thought back to initiation, and the ninja stars that had come so close to cutting her open, and decided that the butterflies that suddenly started fluttering in her stomach were not appreciated. _I am not afraid, I am NOT—_

"Watch out!"

Owaissa had seen a blade that was about to cut Ember's throat, but Ember slid past it at the last second. Her call, however, distracted him long enough for him to be clubbed in the arm by a sandbag, causing his aura to flicker. In the blink of an eye the Forest contraption froze in place. He whipped around to find Owaissa standing there, hands clasped daintily in front of her, trying to look smaller than she already was.

"What the hell!"

"I'm sorry, I just saw that it was going to hit you and I thought—"

"That you could help? You just made things a thousand times worse. And I don't need _help_." Ember spat out the last word contemptibly.

"I didn't—"

"Especially from _you_."

Owaissa looked down, trying really hard once again not to let her injured feelings show. _Great. Just great. First, it's Aurelia, my team leader. Now Ember, who's supposed to be my partner. _

"Why do you have to be so mean?" she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

He looked at her for a moment, then turned back to towel off. When he turned around again, Owaissa was still standing there, with the same small but determined position.

"You don't know how to take a hint, do you."

"Uhh, whatever do you mean?" Owaissa asked innocently.

Ember glared at her but didn't say anything. Instead he picked up his water bottle, threw the towel over one shoulder and his combat bag over the other and started walking in the direction of the door.

Owaissa steeled herself. "I—I was just thinking, for someone as skilled as you at combat, the Forest is not a worthy opponent."

Ember stopped. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that machines are great and all, but if you really want to train, you need something smarter."

"And _you're_ smarter?"

"I'd like to think so."

Ember scoffed and kept walking. "Yeah right."

Owaisssa bit her lip, trying to think of something to say in return. Something told her that if she let him walk away now, he would never take her seriously ever again. And that wasn't okay. They were partners, whether she liked it or not. So she said the only thing she could think of. "You scared of me?"

It worked. Ember stopped. "Me, scared of you? Hah! I'm just done for the day, since you messed me up on the Forest."

"You didn't seem like the kind of guy to back down from a challenge." Owaissa goaded.

Ember turned back around and narrowed his eyes at Owaissa, making her gulp. "You _really_ wanna fight me."

Nervous but determined, Owaissa replied, "If that's what it takes."

_If that's what it takes? What does she mean by that?_ Ember thought, confused. He decided it wasn't worth finding out. "Don't think I'll go easy on you."

"I wouldn't want you to."

_Does she WANT me to kill her? Some death wish. So be it. _Ember responded by strolling up to one of the private training rooms on the side. Owaissa followed, stepping lightly on her feet. This particular room was covered with mats that were soft enough to cushion without taking away the feeling of smacking the ground. Mirrors lined three of the four walls, while the fourth wall was empty save for the door and a panel that when pressed, swung around to reveal a storage area for combat and workout gear. Video cameras were spaced along the corners and sides of the ceiling so that the footage could be reviewed. Right now though, they were in the off position, pointing straight down.

Ember plopped his stuff into one of the compartments and took up his position on one side of the room, simultaneously stretching and double checking that everything was in its place. Owaissa stuffed her bag into another compartment and shut the panel with a click. Only a faint outline in the wall revealed that there was anything hidden inside.

They squared off in front of each other, and it was only then that Owaissa realized just how dangerous the situation was. She'd been in plenty of duels back at Signal, but they had always been moderated by a professor who would stop the fight once a fighter's aura reached the red zone. Here, neither of them had any way of telling whether the other was in the red zone fast enough to stop a critical blow. Maybe they should come up with some sort of signal?

_Too late for that._ Ember was running towards her and she barely had enough time to put one of her knives up before a ninja star in his hand clashed against her knife with a loud _cling_! He immediately followed with a ninja-star-armed fist that she parried with her second knife. She tried to kick him in the chest, but he quickly jumped back and got his katana out just in time to slash away a fire attack from the barb on Owaissa's shin guard. _Boy, he's fast_, Owaissa thought.

_She's fast_, Ember thought as he somersaulted out of the way of another fire attack, this time from the barb at the end of Owaissa's left armguard. He had almost completed his roll when he fired two ninja stars out in rapid succession. She easily dodged one and batted the other one away with her knife, but wasn't counting on the fire and ice explosions that ensued, hitting her aura and shrouding the room in a hazy mist. _Faster than I thought. But now she won't be fast enough_. Ember ran towards Owaissa, simultaneously activating the gravity dust in his gloves so that his ninja stars sped back towards him. What he wasn't expecting was an aura stream to be attached to one of his stars. It quickly wrapped around his wrist, and a second later Owaissa was hurtling through the air aiming a flying side kick at his face. _Crap!_ Ember thought quickly and ducked out of the way, bringing his katana up to thrust at Owaissa, but it caught her shinguard instead. She flipped through the air and hurled one of her knives towards him which he slashed away. He fired two ninja stars at her and hacked at the aura stream still attached to his wrist. _Why won't it budge? _Ember poured some of his aura into his katana and slashed again, feeling some of the resistance give way. _One more_. Ember was about to strike one more time when the aura stream disintegrated. _What?_

Ember looked up just in time to slide his head to a side as Owaissa's kunai knife hurtled past him. Without skipping a beat, she pulled it back and swung it around in circles, controlling its movements with a new aura stream wrapped around the edge of her knife and her free left hand. _Dang he's strong. One more hit and he would have broken my aura._ She kicked it out again but was unprepared for the ninja star that shot towards her. _What?! He has a third ninja star?!_ She managed to twist around so that it ricocheted off her left hip sheath, exploding in a spray of fire. She advanced towards Ember, kunai knife spinning much more rapidly than gravity alone could account for.

Ember had to admit, grudgingly, that Owaissa's knife spinning so fast it was a blur, was intimidating. The pattern seemed randomized leaving no immediate openings that one could pick out. Grimly, Ember slid his fourth ninja star out from its place on his hip and drew his katana in the other hand. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had to pull out his fourth ninja star like this. Not since his last clash with his uncle in any case.

Ember charged forward, aimed, and threw his star with lightning precision at Owaissa. Her kunai knife slid out to deflect it, as Ember predicted it would, and he sprung forward, getting inside the range of her weapon. Owaissa managed to deflect Ember's blows with her second knife, but in her panic she'd let go of her aura stream and the attached knife, which was now feet behind Ember. Up close, Owaissa was just barely holding off Ember's barrage of attacks as he pressed his offensive, forcing Owaissa to defend rather than attack. Even with her armguards and a few well-placed dust attacks, Ember was slowly wearing her down.

Sensing his advantage, Ember slashed forward, only for his katana to be suddenly thrust to the side. In the blink of an eye, Ember was staggering back from a punch Owaissa had delivered to his face. _What…happened? My katana was there…and then something came __**out**__ of her arm…it was a bright turquoise like a fan…no, like a __**fin**__—_

"You're…a Faunus."

Owaissa's eyes went wide and her heart rate skyrocketed. _Crap! Blow it off, blow it off!_ "Psh! Uhh, no, I am NOT a Faunus. Hehe, whatever makes you think that," Owaissa protested in a totally nonconvincing way.

Ember continued to stare at her intensely, not even blinking, which if Owaissa hadn't been panicking, would have creeped her out. _Just stare back! Don't give in, don't give innnnn…._

"Huuaaaaaokay yougotmeyesI'mafaunusbutitsnotabigdeal, nothingtogetcrazyover amIright?"

Ember finally broke eye contact from Owaissa's sheepish grin, and Owaissa breathed a little sigh of relief. Ember could be intense! And that made him kind of scary and intimidating.

How in the heck had Ember figured it out though?! She'd only flicked her fin out for a split second, just enough to get an opening to punch Ember's face. No humans had that level of vision. Only an animal could have followed her reflexes that quickly. Wait…unless…

"You're a Faunus too, aren't you."

Now it was Ember's turn to go wide-eyed in shock. Owaissa took his silent reaction as confirmation and looked him over, eyes settling on the top of his head as realization suddenly struck her.

"What's under the hood, Ember?"

"Rrahh!" Ember attempted to slash Owaissa's arm, but Owaissa was too quick for him. An extension of her fin parried his blow, and she used the momentum combined with the dust in her leg braces to launch herself into the air, arms out towards Ember's hood. Ember managed to grab both her wrists in midair, but a stream of aura came out of her mouth and flipped off Ember's hood before he could stop it. In surprise, he yelped and let go of Owaissa and she finished her flip, quickly twirling back around.

The first thing that caught Owaissa's attention was the flop of bright orange hair atop Ember's head. It stood in such stark contrast to the rest of Ember's black attire that one's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to that flaming orange. Suddenly Ember seemed like a different person, a little less cold and dark, and a little more…fire-y?

But the second thing Owaissa noticed (and it was a close second at that) was a pair of black cat ears. Not some measly little things, but decent sized velvety looking delicate ears. Owaissa took one look and fell in love with them.

"It's…they're beautiful," Owaissa breathed in awe.

Ember pulled his hood back up and stuck his hands in his pockets. "They've been nothing but a nuisance since I was born," he said gruffly. "We're done." He stalked away towards the hidden panel to grab his bag. Owaissa watched him sadly.

_Oh Ember, whatever happened to you to make you feel like that?_ Owaissa walked over to him and said as gently as she could, "What happened to you?"

Ember said nothing. Owaissa continued, "You can _trust_ me, you know. We're teammates, a—and partners."

Ember hefted his water bottle and paused before speaking in a low voice, "Trust. Hmph. Trust doesn't exist."

"Yeah it does!" Owaissa argued. "You can trust that I'm not going to rat you out or anything. Just like I trust you to do the same for me."

"You _will_ not speak of this to anyone. Because if you do…I'll kill you." Ember opened the door and started heading towards the entrance of the gym. Owaissa hurriedly grabbed her things and tried to follow him.

"You don't have to threaten me, I won't tell anyone because we should trust each other. And even if you meant what you said, Ozpin wouldn't let you kill me!"

"Are you so sure about that?"

The cold manner in which Ember spoke gave Owaissa pause. Did he _really_ mean that? That part about…_killing_ her? She'd thought he was making some sort of joke. Maybe it wasn't a joke? Maybe it was an actual death wish? Where was this coming from? He wouldn't _actually_ try to kill anybody…would he?

"Look, I'm sure if we just talked about it—"

"No. We're done."

"But—"

"We're _done_." Ember slammed the door closed. Owaissa, shocked, was paralyzed for a few seconds before she ran to the door and opened it. She looked to the left. No Ember. She looked to the right. No Ember. She looked up, just to check. Still no Ember.

_He really is a ninja_, she thought. _A cold, complicated ninja._


End file.
